Ashleigh Reed had been looking forward to her 12th birthday on Wednesday literally all of her life.

And how did Ashleigh celebrate her big day? She jumped into a stretch limo with her gal pals and they cruised all over Russellville having a good time laughing, talking to people out the long-car’s windows and playing the role of a celebrity.

Ashleigh’s mother, Carla Reed, and a friend, joined in for the fun times.

What was the cause of all of the excitement on a 12th birthday? Ashleigh’s birthday was on 12-12-12.

“She told us ‘I’ve been waiting all of my life for this day,’” Carla said Thursday morning. “She was really excited.”

The Reed family lore goes back to Dec. 11, 2000, when Carla was at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center waiting for Ashleigh to be born. Carla and another expectant mother were talking that in 12 years their children would celebrate their birthdays on 12-12-12.

The facts about the birthday have been discussed for years by the Reed family, and there was much excitement about the pending birthday celebration.

Carla said Ashleigh didn’t know about the night out with her friends, and that the limo ride would be a birthday gift from her parents. It was a big surprise.

“It was a fabulous time,” Carla said. “She woke up this morning happy.”

Carla said Ashleigh and her friends liked “acting like 12-year-old girls” by yelling out the limo’s windows and when they all stopped at Hastings for a coffee, the girls built a human-pyramid in the store while laughing all the time. “There was also a lot of singing,” Carol added.